By shannonyeh.photography, CC BY 2.0
The web is a wonderful place full of discovery and adventure. It can satisfy your curiosity, fuel your imagination, and provide a canvas for your creativity. Avoiding the web is folly; ignoring it’s dark side is dangerous. You may be faced with the dark side of the web during the most innocuous of adventures.
As we use the web, we sometimes encounter images, videos, and text that are offensive, derogatory, annoying, degrading or of mature themes. It’s fairly easy to ignore the annoying; many of us are so used to the flashing ads and sponsored content that we don’t even see them. For users new to the web, especially young children, they may not be able to determine what is sponsored content or an advertisement. This is especially so since Google embeds sponsored content within search results. It is important to teach children to identify advertisements and sponsored content and to not click on them. How can we help children deal with more disturbing content?
What can a person do when she encounters disturbing content online:
- click next
- click back
- close the tab
- turn off the monitor and get help (if it’s a child)
- tell an adult (if it’s a child)
If you see people ranting online, do not comment. If someone is defaming another person on a website, do not get involved. If you get an email making fun of someone else, don’t pass it on. If you get an ugly comment on your blog, put it in the trash (and keep it there in case you need to get help later). If someone asks you for personal information in a chat room, block the person or log off. If you get a bullying e-mail, save it but do not respond. If you’re in a situation where you’re not comfortable, get out even if the other person is a friend or a boyfriend/girlfriend. If you can’t get out by yourself, get help from a trusted friend or adult to get out. These are all methods of walking away. You have responsibilities to your communities and to yourself, to stay safe and to be healthy. It’s okay to walk away. Don’t be afraid to make that choice.